Although it was their first time meeting, based on the information he had gathered, Leon concluded that she was the most brilliant genius among all the women he had ever encountered.
Just look at her words of wisdom.
Not even Gamma or Alpha could compare to her.
"I've been wanting to speak with you in person for a long time, Princess Renner."
"Oh? Your Highness knows I'm just a decorative figure in my kingdom, so I'm surprised to hear that."
"Haha, a decoration? I've never heard of a decoration that single-handedly abolished slavery in a kingdom and implemented so many policies that benefited the common people—without any financial backing."
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Renner and said,
(If such a powerful 'decoration' exists in this world, please tell me where to buy her. No matter the cost, I'll pay it.)
"...I'm not sure I understand what Your Highness means."
Renner's eyes flickered for a moment, like drops falling into a still lake causing ripples—but she masked it in less than a second.
Leon raised his lips in a smirk. Before him, not even a second of hesitation escaped his notice. Say it again, golden princess.
She was an overwhelmingly powerful genius.
So much so that, even if Leon were to conquer and destroy her kingdom one day, he wouldn't eliminate her—he'd take her under his command.
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Will you talk with me for a bit? Think of it as just listening to a story that has nothing to do with you. I want to hear what Princess Renner thinks."
"Of course, Prince Leon. It's an honor to speak with the legendary dragon slayer."
The golden princess smiled and gave a flawless bow.
Any man who saw her would admire her—she was the picture of beauty and grace—and then... she would exploit their carelessness and underestimation.
Leon smiled faintly and led Renner to the corner where he had been speaking with Yumina.
The two sat down on a luxurious bench.
For girls whose beauty ranked among the highest of humankind, the noble daughters and princesses around them—who glanced at them from afar—lacked the confidence to interrupt.
"What better place to discuss this? Let me think... Let's talk about the abolition of slavery in your kingdom two years ago."
"Your Highness really does your homework."
"Of course. The implementation was brilliant. I even studied it. Especially... how it appeared to aim at weakening the power of the nobility, but was actually a decoy—it deliberately failed and then shifted focus to slave law reform."
"...It sounds very impressive when you put it that way. I don't really know who came up with the strategy—perhaps it was just a coincidence."
Renner replied with a perfect smile.
"Really? Perhaps. But there are many more interesting stories like that. Would you like to hear some?"
"Certainly, please go on, Your Highness."
She picked up the wine bottle and poured a glass for Leon.
Although poisoning was unlikely in such a public setting—and even if it were, Leon's eyes would catch it—he still inspected the drink before taking a sip.
There was a reason for that.
The woman in front of him pretended to be delicate and pitiful, but in truth, she was extremely intelligent and dangerous.
Later, he reported on Renner's accomplishments based on the information he had collected. Of course, she had hidden her hand well. At first glance, these actions didn't seem remarkable, but each one required deep analysis to understand just how powerful they really were.
And still, there was no proof of what she had done. They called it a "perfect crime."
Leon: "To be honest, I've learned a lot from the many policies implemented in your kingdom during this period."
Renner: "I've also studied Your Highness's policies, and they're all astounding. It's hard to believe such clever strategies were conceived in this era."
Leon: "Well, they were…"
He held out his empty wine glass.
Renner immediately refilled it.
At that moment, the golden princess looked calm on the outside, but inside, a storm was raging. How did this man acquire such information?!
No—she should be asking: How did he analyze these things so precisely? He had truly understood many of her plans perfectly!
Renner looked again at the prince before her.
He was undeniably the most dazzling man she had ever seen. But she had seen plenty of people with dazzling looks and the brains of livestock. The nobles in her own kingdom were the best examples.
Renner could manipulate them as easily as puppets on strings.
Because she was extremely intelligent.
Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself.
A person with an extreme disparity between her outward appearance and her true self.
A strange woman in human form—a monster wrapped in beautiful human skin!
Her logic, intuition, imagination, comprehension, and analytical skills had been terrifyingly powerful since childhood. A genius among geniuses.
But because of that—
No one could truly understand her.
After all, geniuses are always alone.
Just as humans cannot communicate with brainless sea cucumbers, Renner couldn't interact normally with others in her natural state.
So, to live peacefully within human society, the golden princess masked her true nature and made those around her believe she was merely a pretty figurehead with no real abilities.
What she didn't know was that—even across the entire world—there may be no one whose talents could rival hers...
(Could it be that this person truly understands me? Can he see through my thoughts? No… Maybe those words weren't even his true thoughts...)
Renner was spiraling in thought.
She wanted to know the truth about the boy before her.
Was he truly a wise person who could communicate with her as an equal?
The golden princess's heartbeat quickened.
She longed for someone who could connect with her on equal footing—someone who understood her species. She was already sick of those low-IQ insects.
Living among a herd of imbeciles was nothing short of torture—especially because she possessed only wisdom, not power. So her only choice had been to survive by pretending to be a fool.
Outwardly, she was a gentle, kind princess loved by all.
But in truth, she despised humans more than anyone.
So stupid.
Why do these creatures, who look so similar on the outside, have such laughably low intelligence? Especially when they make up the overwhelming majority of the world, forming what she saw as a society of idiots.
And yet, that was exactly what allowed her to blend in.
She had prayed to the heavens countless times in the dead of night.
Renner: 'God, could you let me meet someone who can truly communicate with me? Or… are you, the one who created humans, just as stupid as they are?'
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."